Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

Mea Culpa (2018)

Mariska Hargitay: Lieutenant Olivia Benson

Quotes 

• Reggie Gregg : Stone is gonna go to prison?

  Olivia Benson : Well, Sarah Kent tells a... convincing story.

  Reggie Gregg : And that's enough?

  Olivia Benson : It is. It could be different, if... if somebody, if... you know, you, said that she consented.

  Reggie Gregg : You want me to commit perjury?

  Olivia Benson : Come on. I know that you guys cover for each other. Right, all those road trips, what the wife and the girlfriend don't know... I mean, all you have to do is to say that you heard Sarah consent before you left the hotel room. And that way, Peter would have a fighting chance.

  Reggie Gregg : You think?

  Olivia Benson : Unfortunately, in this day and age, without your fib... he's gonna lose. Think of all the ballplayers that have covered for you over your entire career.

  Reggie Gregg : Yeah. Yeah, sure.

  Olivia Benson : Great.

  Reggie Gregg : Yeah, why the hell not? You know, if it gets him off the hook.

  Olivia Benson : Great. Thanks. That is a start. Now all we have to do is wait for the test.

  Reggie Gregg : What test?

  Olivia Benson : The DNA test. Let's just hope that Peter Stone is not the father of Sarah's daughter. Although, the timing is spot-on. Her husband couldn't get her pregnant.

  Reggie Gregg : You know.

  Olivia Benson : I know what a guy who's willing to commit perjury in a rape case thinks about women. Peter Stone passed out, didn't he?

  Reggie Gregg : No, no, no, no, no. No. She was all over me. I did not rape her.

  Olivia Benson : She was so drunk, she didn't know what was going on. What do you call that?

• Olivia Benson : Peter, I'm sorry for everything that you went through. And I'm sorry if it seemed like I doubted you.

  Peter Stone : Don't be. Liv, that's why I work with you. You know, the thing is when all the noise was coming at me, there was a moment I doubted myself.

• Dominick Carisi : [to Olivia]  Stone's been released, ROR.

  Olivia Benson : Thanks. Yeah, I heard.

  Dominick Carisi : Is, um... Sarah gonna testify?

  Olivia Benson : If she wants to stay married, she is. Hey, Carisi, I hate every minute of this too, but we don't get to pick and choose who we investigate.

  Dominick Carisi : Lieutenant, he denies this. Maybe we owe him the benefit of the doubt.

  Olivia Benson : And what do we owe her?

• Peter Stone : [to Olivia]  Look, I'm just gonna come out and say it. I've been accused of sexual assault.

  Olivia Benson : What?

  Peter Stone : It was 12 years ago. I was drunk. Look, but I know in my bones in my heart and in my soul, I didn't rape this woman.

  Olivia Benson : But she says you did. Why?

  Peter Stone : I don't know. What I do know is no matter how drunk I was, that's not who I am. I swear to God. I didn't do this, Liv. I didn't do this. You believe me?

  Olivia Benson : I do. I do, but... but Peter, it's just not that simple.

  Peter Stone : Because it's your job to believe her.

  Olivia Benson : It's my job to hear her side of the story. To find out the truth. So if you want someone to make this go away, then you came to the wrong person.

  Peter Stone : No, I'm not asking you to make this go away. I want the truth too. I'm not asking for absolution. I'm asking that you open an investigation.

• Olivia Benson : What Sarah Kent described was an assault. With all the self-blame of not reporting, guilt about going to the bar, guilt about her marriage falling apart...

  Dominick Carisi : Wha... hold on a second. She said her marriage was falling apart?

  Olivia Benson : She said that she and her husband were going through a rough patch.

  Dominick Carisi : All right, that's interesting. Because the husband told me that they were madly in love. He's beating himself up about this. He was out of town at the time. She never told him about it.

• Olivia Benson : [to Stone]  So we spoke with Sarah.

  Peter Stone : Hm.

  Olivia Benson : She said that you raped her and her husband wants to press charges. Her story is credible, Peter.

  Peter Stone : What about my story? Because I know I didn't rape anyone.

  Olivia Benson : There were two people in that room, and I wasn't there.

  Peter Stone : And you said you believe me.

  Olivia Benson : I also believe her. Look, Peter, if this was anyone else we wouldn't be having this conversation.

  Peter Stone : So that's it? You're just gonna arrest me now?

  Olivia Benson : I have to. If you want to call a lawyer, we...

  Peter Stone : I am a lawyer.

• Sarah Kent : I already told that other detective that I don't want to talk about this.

  Olivia Benson : I understand that, but a crime has been reported, and as an officer of the law, I have to investigate him.

  Sarah Kent : Did Peter Stone contact you?

  Olivia Benson : He did. He asked me to investigate.

  Sarah Kent : This isn't gonna go away, is it? All right. Come in.